Auto Zurich President Karl Bieri in an interview
Blick: Mr. Bieri, how did you manage to set up a car show despite the adverse circumstances and in contrast to the Geneva Salon?
Karl Bieri: We have had very good contact with the exhibitors for years, and the large number of registrations are therefore also confirmation that our work is very much appreciated. Compared to the Geneva Salon, our exhibitors are not the manufacturers themselves, but the importers and large garage owners, which is why the contact is much closer between us as organizers and the exhibitors. At this point I would like to thank the Swiss auto industry for trusting us that.
What were you personally looking forward to most in advance?
It’s great that we were able to organize the EV Experience, where visitors can test drive a wide variety of electric vehicles here on site. This is very popular with our guests, as the pre-registrations on our website show. And I’m particularly proud of the new trade fair architecture in Halls 1 to 4.
What exactly was changed there?
Up until now we had installed 20,000 square meters of carpet on every Auto Zürich, which had to be specially delivered from Belgium and shredded after the event. That is why we have now focused much more strongly on sustainability in the realignment, dispensed with the carpet and still designed the layout of the exhibition halls with the now dark walls more elegant than before. There is also a new lighting system that puts the cars even more in the spotlight.
Auto Zurich 2021 – you need to know that
Date / opening times: November 4 to 7, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Sat / Sun 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
Location: Zurich Exhibition Center
Entrance fees: Adults 19 francs; AHV / IV recipients 12 francs; Schoolchildren / students / apprentices 10 francs; Evening tickets (Thursday / Friday from 6 p.m.) 12 francs; Family tickets (2 adults, 1–4 kids up to 16 years of age) 39 francs; Season ticket 30 francs
Info: auto-zuerich.ch
Note: Please show a valid Covid certificate and official ID at the entrance.
Date / opening times: November 4 to 7, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Sat / Sun 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
Location: Zurich Exhibition Center
Entrance fees: Adults 19 francs; AHV / IV recipients 12 francs; Schoolchildren / students / apprentices 10 francs; Evening tickets (Thursday / Friday from 6 p.m.) 12 francs; Family tickets (2 adults, 1–4 kids up to 16 years of age) 39 francs; Season ticket 30 francs
Info: auto-zuerich.ch
Note: Please show a valid Covid certificate and official ID at the entrance.
What should visitors definitely not miss at Auto Zürich?
A highlight is certainly the extremely successful Classic area in Hall 6: The offer ranges from youngtimers in lower price classes to real rarities worth millions – a wonderful spectrum and very well presented. We were able to attract more exhibitors compared to 2019, and there could be even more in the future. The motorsport providers in Hall 5, such as Emil Frey Racing, are also exciting. You rarely get such insights into racing.
Despite the certificate requirement, do you expect similar high visitor numbers as in previous years?
Before we started, we had real concerns about how the measures would affect the audience numbers. But what was going on at the start on Thursday morning was simply huge: never in all these years have we had so many visitors! That’s why I advise you to pre-order tickets online. The control of the Covid certificates is very quick, and there is no mask requirement in the trade fair itself, which also makes the visit much more comfortable.